Automobile.



L. HERMAN.

AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1010.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1v Fl E E Q/vi/hwooco Eltl'oaneg L. HERMAN.

AUTOMOBILE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED OUT. 1, 1910. 990,263. Patented Apr.25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-BEIEBT 2.

fig I I f II S X 6 E5 3 7 8 ,5 T 1 T F] E. 4- M7 0 c l e lwuwwto'aWitnesses I I x. mm @313 W y fig LOUIS HERMAN, OF HILLSBORO', MISSOURI.

AUTOMOBILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Application filed October 1 1910. Serial No. 584,946.

do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. i

,This invention relates to automobiles; and it consists in the novelconstruction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully describedand claimed whereby the front and rear road wheels are driven andsteered.

In, the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the driving mechanism, frombelow. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front end view ofaportion of the steering mechanism. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectiontaken on the line m--w in Fig. 1.

A is a frame of any approved construction for supporting all the drivingmecha- ..nism. As the driving and steering, devices are alikeyat eachend of the automobile the description will be confined to the devices atone end of it.

B is the main driving shaft to which power is applied by any suitablemotor. This driving shaft is arranged crosswise at the middle part ofthe machine, and it is journaled in bearings I).

C is a driving disk which is rigidly secured'on the shaft B, and c is abeveled toothed equalizing pinion carried by a pin 0 and free to revolvein an opening in the disk 0. 5

D- are two beveled toothed wheels journaled loose on the shaft 13 andarranged one on each side of the'disk G and in gear with the pinion 0.-The wheels D are prevented from sliding on the shaft by means Eachsprocket wheel E has a clutclrmem her 6 on one side of it for engagingWllll the adjacent clutch-member (1. Each sprocket wheel E has also acircumferential groove F in its hub, and a friction clutch- 1nember 9arranged at the opposite side of it from the clutch-member e.

G are friction clutch-members rigidly secured upon the driving shaft Bfor the clutch-members g to-engage with.

F are levers pivoted to the frame A in any approved manner and engagingwith the grooves F so that the two sprocket wheels and their clutchmembers c and 9 can be slid longitudinally on the shaft B independent ofeach other.

H and I-Iare two similar drive chains which engage with the sprocketwheels E.

These chains extend in opposite directions,

one being adapted to drivethe mechanism at the front end of theautomobile, and the other to drive the similar mechanism at its rearend. The drive chain H passes over a sprocket wheel I carried by a shaft2' and mounted in suitable bcarings i on the frame A. The sprocket wheelIfcarries a beveled toothed equalizing plnion J which 1s'mount ed on apin j and arranged to revolve in an' .on the shafts L at one endthereof; and n are two similar beveled toothed driving pinions securedat the other ends of the shafts L and arranged on gear with the wheels70.

Pare bearings arranged in line with each other and secured to the frameA parallel'to the shaft i. Driving cross shafts p are journaled in thebearings P, and 2 are beveled toothed pinions securedon the outerends ofthe shafts p. Friction driving wheels '3 are splined on the adjacent endportions of the cross shafts p, and are provided with circumferen'tialgrooves 4 in their hubs.

and these wheels gear into the pin ons 7 and 2. I A connecting-rod 9 ispivoted to the two lovers S so that they work simultaneously and in thesame direction. Rods 10 are also pivoted to the said levers S, and areoperatively connected to collars 11 which engage with thecircumferential grooves 4 of the friction driving wheels. The levers Sare operated by means of the rod 9 which can be grasped by hand, but anyapproved mecha; nism can be applied to. the rod 9 .to' permit the leversto be worked from any conven-' ient seat in the automobile withoutgrasping the rod 9. i Any other approved form of friction clutch can beused in carrying out this invention, the form shown and described beingadopted merely as an illustration.

' When the two sprocket wheels E are coupled to-the driving disk 0 thetwo drivecha'ms are operated simultaneously, and the beveled pinion andtoothed wheels equalize the driving force so that the driving mechanismat eachend of the machine is driven with equal force. One or the otherof the two sprocket wheels E can be coupled to the driving disk C, sothat the driving mechanism at one end only of the machine can be driven,if desired. 'If any accident should occur to the driving disk C or tothe toothed wheels connected to it, one or both of the sprocket wheels Ecan be driven from the friction clutch members G, by sliding thesprocket wheels outwardly.

Any suitable motor or engine is used for driving the shaft B and thedriving ,disk C, the power being preferably applied to the shaft B. Whenthe driving is effected by means of the clutches Gr, there is nodifferential action, but in case of a break down this method of driving,although limited, can be utilized to advantage.

The drive chain imparts motion .to the driving mechanism at the end ofthe machine and the road wheels are revolved by means of theintermediate wheels. When the machine is steered to make a turn the rod9 is moved to operate the steering levers in the usual way, and thefriction driving wheels 3 are moved from their normal positions againstthe friction disks N. One driving wheel 3 is moved toward the center ofits disk N, and the other driving wheel is moved away from the center ofits disk. In this manner the road wheel onthe outside of the curve isdriven ata greater circumferential speed than the road wheel on theinside of the curve. The sprocket wheel I with its plnion J and thewheels j equalize the driving force imparted to the disks N.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, with a frame, two driving shaftsjournaleddongitudinally in the frame and arranged side by side, andmeans for revolving the said shafts; of friction driving disks securedon the said shafts,

two cross shafts arranged in line with each other, slidable frictiondriving wheels splined on the said cross shafts and bearing against thesaid disks, beveled toothed pinions secured on the said cross shafts,steering levers pivotally supported by the said frame and arranged atthe outer ends of the cross shafts and provided with axle spindles, roadwheels mounted-on the said spindles, beveled toothed pinions secured tothe v said road wheels, beveled toothed wheels con necting the saidpinions in pairs, a connection between the steering levers, and rodsoperatively connecting the friction driving wheels with the steeringlevers, so that the road wheels are driven at unequal speeds in roundingcurves.

' 2. The combination, with a frame, and two driving shafts journaledlongitudinally in the frame and arranged side by side; of frictiondriving disks secured on the said shafts, beveled toothed drivingpinions also secured to the said shafts, a revoluble driv- 'ing wheelhaving a revoluble beveled toothed equalizing pinlon mounted in it,beveled toothed wheels secured back to back in pairs each pair revolvingindependent of the other and the inner'wheels gearing into the saidequalizing pinion and the outer Wheels gearing into the said drivingpinions, two cross shafts arranged in line with each other, slidablefriction driving wheels splined on the said cross shafts and bearingagainst the said disks, beveled toothed pinions secured on the saidcross shafts, steering levers pivotally supported by the said frame andarranged at the outer ends of the cross shafts and provided with axlespindles, road wheels mounted on the said spindles, beveled toothedinions secured to the said road wheels, beveled toothed wheelsconnecting the said pinions in pairs, a connection between the steeringlevers, and rods operatively connecting the friction driving wheels withthe steering levers, so that the road wheels are driven at unequal speedin rounding curves.

8. The combination, with a frame, of two driving shafts j onrnaledlongitudinally in the frame, means for revolving the said shafts,friction driving disks secured on the said shafts, two cross shaftsjournaled in the said frame, slidable friction driving wheels splined onthesaid cross shaftsand bearing friction driving wheels with thevsteering against the said disks, steering levers pivlevers. 10

otally' supported by the said frame and pro- In testimony whereof I haveaflixed my vided with axle spindles, road Wheelsmountsignature in thepresence of two witnesses. 7

ed on the said spindles, driving connections LOUIS HERMAN. between theSitld cross shafts and road Witnesses:

wheels, a connection between the steering ALBERT MILLER,

levers, and rods operatively connecting the JOHN GENZLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. 0. i

